When I lived in Canberra, this blog was a diary of my lunchtime adventures in the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Seeing so many interesting things each lunchtime gave me the idea to practice my photography and share my experiences. In 2011 I moved to Brisbane and gained a position as a research scientist at CSIRO. This blog follows my latest adventures as I learn about the wonderful wildlife in this region.

Friday, 16 April 2010

Lambertia and the elusive Eastern Spinebill

The gardens really are alive with so many beautiful flowers at the moment, particularly ones that produce nectar, like this lovely Lambertia inermis

The first picture shows the flower in bloom, the second is yet to open, caught in a ray of sunlight. I sat on a bench nearby for quite a while, as a little Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris was flitting from flower to flower, feasting on the nectar. Could I get a good shot of him? No!! Im determined to get a good picture of one of these one day, but sadly, my attempts this time were no better than my last attempt. A very kind person might call the first picture an 'action shot'?!

I took a look again at the hole in the Eucalyptus tree that the romantic Galah's were investigating the other day and I can confirm, they are nesting! One of them was busy moving in and out of the hole, disappearing for some time completely within the tree, while the other was having a snooze. Wonder which was male and which was female?!

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Brisbane Adventures/Lunchtime Adventures is part of the Nature Blog Network

About Me

My name is Dr Hazel Parry and I work for CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences as a Research Scientist. I specialise in spatial ecology and ecological modelling.
My research interests include: agent-based and individual-based modelling, computer simulation of crop pest population dynamics and dispersal, grid computing, geographical information systems, environmentally sensitive farming and predicting the implications of policy and environmental change for agricultural landscapes.
Publications